U.S. Congressman and Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN-07) has signed onto a letter demanding that President Joe Biden reconsider the potential nomination of former Treasury Secretary Democrat Jack Lew to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
This follows reports that Lew is Biden’s leading candidate for the position of ambassador.
Jack Lew is an American attorney and politician who served as the 76th United States Secretary of the Treasury from 2013 to 2017. He also served as the 25th White House Chief of Staff from 2012 to 2013 and director of the Office of Management and Budget in both the Clinton administration and Obama administration.
Green along with 7 other U.S. Congressmen sent a letter to President Biden voicing “serious concern” about the potential nomination of Lew and calling on him to instead nominate someone who can “effectively strengthen and enhance the U.S.-Israel relationship during a critical juncture in diplomatic ties.”
In the letter, the lawmakers highlight several key areas of concern regarding Lew’s nomination including his role in drafting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), often known as the Iran nuclear agreement, which has led some to question his ability to protect the national security interests of Israel and the United States.
The letter also draws attention to the fact that Lew backed former President Obama’s decision to abstain from vetoing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334 (2016), which denounced Israeli settlement construction, and it expresses concern about the former Lew’s support for viewpoints that could harm Israel’s international standing.
Additionally Lew has an alleged history of making provocative comments about the Israeli Prime Minister. According to the lawmakers, Lew has frequently criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and placed significant blame on Netanyahu for the well-documented poor relationship between former President Obama and Netanyahu.
According to Green, the U.S. needs an ambassador who will protect its relationship with Israel and not damage it.
“POTUS must rethink his nomination of Jack Lew for U.S. ambassador to Israel, considering his role in crafting the failed Iran nuclear deal and his open criticism of Israel’s prime minister. We need an ambassador that will champion our relationship with Israel, not harm it,” Green said.
Other cosigners of the letter include House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO-05), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV-01), and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), and Rep. Max Miller (R-OH-07).
According to Miller, Israel is the forever home of the Jewish people and one of America’s closest democratic allies.
“The United States needs an ambassador to Israel who will work to strengthen, not strain, relations between our two countries at this critical juncture. I hope this administration will heed our caution before moving forward,” Miller said.
Tenney said that at a time when collaboration between the United States and Israel is of utmost importance, the U.S. needs an ambassador who works to reaffirm our nation’s unfailing support for Israel.
“Given Secretary Lew’s history of controversial remarks and actions which harm Israel’s global standing and national security, he is ill-suited for this critical role. We need an ambassador who can engage with Israeli leadership, and Jack Lew has proven he is the wrong man for the job. President Biden must nominate an individual who is able to enhance our critical bond and partnership, especially given the Biden administration’s already chilled relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Today, I am joined by a distinguished group of my colleagues urging the President to reconsider this important nomination,” Tenney said.
According to the lawmakers, the U.S. should be focused on strengthening its relationship with Israel, and this nomination has the potential to strain relations with our strongest ally and the only democracy in the Middle East. They strongly urge Biden to ensure that any nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Israel can and will improve relations between our two countries.
Other potential candidates for consideration include Stuart Eizenstat, a former ambassador to the European Union, former Democratic Reps. Robert Wexler, Steve Israel, and Ted Deutch.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Tennessee Star. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jack Lew” by the Brookings Institution CC2.0 and “Jack Lew in the Obama white House” is by The White House.
What a joke. The Ambasador to our Greatest Ally has absolutely nothing to do with Congressman Green’s district and is everything to do with fundraising.